


Who I Am Inside

by emphasisonem



Series: Idylwood [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Fluff, Gay Bucky Barnes, M/M, SUCH FLUFF, Steve the Disney Nerd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-23 00:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7459755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emphasisonem/pseuds/emphasisonem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve flushes when he catches sight of Bucky standing at the end of the hallway, a wide smile stretching across the brunet’s handsome features as he applauds Steve’s performance. He rubs a hand across the back of his neck, hot with embarrassment as the man most still consider “the new guy in town” makes his way toward him. </p><p>“Steve,” Bucky grins, spreading his arms wide as he stops in front of him. “Had no idea you had that in you, pal. You’re damn good.”</p><p>  <b>In which Steve decides to belt "Reflection" in dramatic fashion while in a House of Mirrors and Bucky catches the performance.</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Who I Am Inside

**Author's Note:**

> So, whenever I have a real block my solution is to write other things until the block lifts. I'm happy to report that this fluffy little fic did the trick and I'll be updating Cool Beans shortly. Anyway, this is a cheesy little oneshot based on a prompt from [ this post](http://shittyaus.tumblr.com/post/146711449658/disneypixar-aus-for-the-inner-children-in-us).

Steve Rogers has volunteered for the annual Idylwood Harvest Fair since his freshman year of high school. His mother had moved them to the small town in upstate New York when his father had passed away, and while he’d missed Brooklyn, the tiny burg had become home over the years. The community is warm and welcoming, and Steve’s done well for himself. He owns the hardware store on Main Street, serves on the town council and volunteers to help with most of the events in Idylwood.

If you asked anyone, they’d tell you Steve Rogers is an all-American golden boy, and an asset to the community.

It is, Steve thinks, an awful lot to live up to.

Steve is regarded by many as a stable and serious young man, and the blond does his best to earn his neighbors’ respect. But Steve’s only 28 and he doesn’t get much of an opportunity to cut loose, to goof off. He’s old for his age, he supposes, not without a little regret as he carries decorative bales of hay and drops them by the entrance to the hall of mirrors, arranging them to look artfully messy.

Steve glances about furtively, but no one is around. He grins to himself, then wanders into the fair attraction.

The mirrors distort Steve’s appearance comically. One makes him appear very tall and thin, the next short and fat. One swirls his appearance into a strange whirl of color. Steve giggles, moving around, distorting his appearance even further.

The next mirror has an etching - a frame with the words “The Fairest of Them All” engraved below it. Steve figures it’s a photo opportunity for the kids in the crowd, and he stops, surveying his appearance. His blond hair is mussed from the exertion of setting up, his cheeks flushed pink, his blue eyes bright.

All of a sudden, Steve’s face morphs into something more serious as he reaches toward the mirror.

“Look at me,” Steve sings softly, trying not to laugh at the melodramatic look on his face. “I will never pass for a perfect bride. Or a perfect daughter.”

Steve, emboldened by his solitude, allows his voice to increase in volume.

“Can it be?” he sings, hitting each note with precision. He’d done choir in high school, and he’s forgotten how much he’s missed the sound of song rolling from his tongue. “I’m not meant to play this part?”

“Now I see,” Steve continues, completely unaware of a presence moving stealthily around the corner, ignorant of steely eyes watching his performance. “That if I were truly to be myself I would break my family’s heart.”

 

* * *

 

James Buchanan Barnes (Bucky to his friends) is making his way over to the area of the fair reserved for the competitors presenting flowers, pushing a small wheelbarrow filled with colorful blooms ahead of him when he hears a clear, lovely male voice singing from inside the Hall of Mirrors. It’s early yet and the fair won’t open to the general public for another couple of hours. Bucky smiles, setting the wheelbarrow down and entering the attraction, moving as quietly as possible.

Bucky had found himself in Idylwood after his grandfather died and left him a commercial property in the town’s miniscule business district. Bucky had been saving for years to afford the mortgage on a shop in Brooklyn so that he could expand his florist business, which he’d been attempting to run from the basement of his mother’s home. So, he’d packed up and moved, opening up shop in the small town instead. He’d had plenty of success.

Of course, despite his fresh stock and beautiful arrangements, the locals had regarded the young man with the long, dark hair and the thick Brooklyn accent who’d taken over the property where Harold Barnes had tailored suits and dresses for fifty years with suspicion. Except for one beautiful blond man. And that’s who Bucky sees standing at the mirror, belting his heart out, as he peeks around the corner.

Steve’s usually so busy with work and volunteering that he doesn’t have much time to have any fun or date, although Bucky knows there are plenty of young women and even a few young men eager for the opportunity to win his affections. Steve is tall and broad, cutting an impressive figure standing at the end of the hall. His hair is a silky medium blond with highlights the color of cornsilk, and his light blue eyes sparkle like a clear and calm ocean. The planes of his face are smooth and sharp, his features handsome but not intimidating.

Bucky has maybe had a crush on this man for the better part of the three years he’s lived in Idylwood, but has no idea how to even begin broaching the subject. Steve is the town paradigm and Bucky doubts that he’s good enough for the other man. He’s sure the rest of the citizens in their tiny town will agree, since they seem to turn up their nose at the idea of friendship between the two men, let alone anything more serious.

Anyway, Bucky’s fairly certain everyone’s hoping Steve will get back together with Sharon Carter, the beautiful blond he’d been seeing when Bucky moved into town. Bucky's pretty damn sure that’ll never happen, though, since Sharon had thrown him over as soon as Steve had come out to her as bisexual, telling him to call her when he came to his senses. And while the two are good terms now, Bucky remembers running into a miserable Steve at the bar over on Maple Street, asking the man what was wrong. He’d seen Steve around plenty in his first six months of residency, but that night was the first he’d worked up the courage to really talk to the other man. Steve was already fairly drunk, and his guard had been down, so Bucky’d gotten the whole story. He recalls it now.

_“I just,” Steve sighs after telling Bucky about the way Sharon had stormed out of his home. “I just thought she’d understand, y’know? Thought she - hic - loved me.”_

_“I’m sorry, Steve,” Bucky replies, smiling sadly. “Coming out’s a tough business. Believe me, I know.”_

_Steve’s eyes widen at that, and Bucky could swear that maybe he’d seen a flash of want in those baby blues. “You’re?”_

_“Gay,” Bucky shrugs, grinning. “Did you not know? I’m surprised. God knows information travels fast in these small towns.”_

_“I try not to listen to the gossip,” Steve’s expression is still one of surprise, and Bucky struggles not to laugh._

_“Such an upstanding guy,” Bucky chuckles. “Look, why don’t I walk you home? You’ve had a shit day, and sleep’s better for that than getting totally trashed.”_

_Steve agrees and the two of them walk back to Steve’s place, Steve stumbling a little, holding onto Bucky’s arm to steady himself. When they reach Steve’s house, the blond pulls Bucky into a tight hug, surprising a laugh out of the brunet._

_“Thank you,” Steve breathes, and Bucky struggles not to shiver as the other man’s breath ghosts past his ear and along his neck. “Thank you for listening. You’re a good friend.”_

Steve had jumped right into using the word “friend,” and that’s exactly what the two became. Bucky gets the feeling, too, that since he hasn’t known Steve since the guy was a kid, he actually gets to see the silly, sarcastic side of the blond that no one else seems to be aware of. Bucky treasures it almost as much as he treasures the flustered reactions he teases from Steve when he decides to flirt a little with the blond. Bucky gets the feeling Steve might be into him, but he’s not sure so he doesn’t press the issue.

Bucky smiles as he watches Steve. He’s so damn attractive it almost _hurts_ , and Bucky wonders - not for the first time- what it  would feel to have the other man’s plush, red lips pressing against his own.

Steve's committing to the song, his face wearing an expression of beautiful sadness as he begins to sing the soaring chorus, and Bucky feels his smile widen.

“Who is that girl I see,” Steve belts, and Bucky’s actually blown away by the crisp, clear quality of Steve’s voice. He’d had no idea his friend could sing like this. He’s heard Steve sing along to songs quietly, but this is incredible

“Staring straight back at me. Why is my reflection someone I don't know?"

Steve takes a deep breath and continues as Bucky stands transfixed by his friend  

"Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried. When will my reflection show who I am inside?”

Bucky’s breath catches in his throat as Steve hits the high note, and the blond continues, softly, “When will my reflection show who I am inside?”

Bucky’s clapping before he even realizes what he’s doing, and he nearly laughs out loud at Steve’s startled expression as he whirls to see where the noise is coming from.

 

* * *

 

Steve flushes when he catches sight of Bucky standing at the end of the hallway, a wide smile stretching across the brunet’s handsome features as he applauds Steve’s performance. He rubs a hand across the back of his neck, hot with embarrassment as the man most still consider “the new guy in town” makes his way toward him.

“Steve,” Bucky grins, spreading his arms wide as he stops in front of him. “Had no idea you had that in you, pal. You’re damn good.”

“Hey, Buck,” Steve smiles shyly, still blushing. Except _now_ his cheeks are flaming because the guy he’s been crushing on for years is complimenting him. Steve had been drawn to the brunet ever since he’d seen him moving boxes of flowers into the old tailor’s shop on Main Street. Steve had introduced himself, breath stolen by the man’s dark beauty, but he’d been too shy to be anything more than a casual acquaintance, waving at Bucky when they saw each other, forcing his way through small talk at town events when really he wanted to know so much more about the man.

Then Sharon had dumped him, and he’d found unlikely support in the form of Bucky that night in the local watering hole. They’d been good friends ever since.

The trouble is, Steve’s so out of practice when it comes to matters of the heart that he doesn’t know where to begin with Bucky. Or even if he _should_ because why on earth would this sinfully sexy guy be into small-town Steve Rogers.

Steve’s startled from his thoughts as Bucky grips his upper arm, squeezing gently. “Really, Steve, that was beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Steve mumbles, grinning despite himself. “Just goofing around.”

“Well, if that was just goofin’ around, I’d love to hear ya when you’re takin’ it serious,” Bucky’s hand is still on Steve’s arm, but now his fingers are gliding up and down, caressing Steve, and holy _shit_ , they’re standing really close together, aren’t they?

“Yeah?” Steve breathes, leaning unconsciously into the other man’s touch. Steve doesn’t miss the way Bucky’s eyes survey his tall frame, lingering on his lips before they snap to meet his. Steve’s breath catches in his throat at the look in the brunet’s eyes, the black of his pupils encroaching on silvery gray. Steve’s mouth is dry as Bucky leans forward, a haze of want clouding his thoughts and sharpening his vision. Bucky’s breath ghosts across his lips, and then there’s a voice shouting for Steve from the entrance of the Hall of Mirrors.

“Just,” Steve stammers, “Just a second!”

 _Shit_.

 

* * *

 

Bucky draws back a little at the shout from the entrance, but he doesn’t remove his hand from Steve’s arm as the blond calls back.

Instead, he grips it tighter, pulling Steve close and capturing the other man’s lips with his own.

“Mmph,” the high-pitched sound Steve makes is the cutest thing Bucky’s ever heard, and he smiles against Steve’s lips as he holds him close. Then Steve’s hands are in Bucky’s hair, tugging gently and Bucky moans.

Steve takes the opportunity to slip his tongue past Bucky’s lips, running the muscle along the roof of his mouth, and Bucky can’t help the shudder that runs through him or the needy whine that issues from low in his throat.

“Shoulda done that years ago,” Bucky laughs breathlessly when the two part, cupping Steve’s face in his hands.

“Yeah?” the smile on Steve’s face is blinding as he addresses Bucky, and the brunet’s heart swells.

“Yeah,” Bucky grins. “I’ll, uh, let you finish settin’ up here. Gotta get my flowers over to the contest area anyway. But I think maybe you oughta let me take you out sometime.”

“You wanna take me out?” Steve asks, and Bucky laughs at the surprised and hopeful smile on Steve’s face. “Like on a date?”

“Steve, I’ve been wantin’ to take you out for years now,” Bucky replies. “Just wanted to be sure that’s what you wanted. So whaddya say?”

“I say yes,” Steve breathes, leaning in to kiss Bucky again, and if they don’t stop now Bucky’s not sure they ever will. He pulls himself away from Steve with an effort, smiling.

“I’ll find you before the end of the fair tonight,” Bucky promises. “And make sure you come see my roses. I know they’re your favorite.”

“Yeah,” Steve grins, fingers touching his lips like he can’t believe what just happened, and god, Bucky wants nothing more than to kiss and nip and suck at those perfect lips until Steve is breathless and begging for more. But Bucky’s waited this long; he can wait a little longer.

“See you later,  Steve,” Bucky smiles, turning to leave. He gets almost to the entrance before he feels a tug on his arm, and then Steve is pulling him back, pinning him against one of the walls and kissing him fiercely.

Steve’s hands are tangled in his hair, and a knee settles between Bucky’s thighs, its pressure maddening. Bucky groans, clinging tight to Steve’s hips as he kisses the blond back desperately.

“Good luck at the competition,” Steve grins wickedly as he pulls back. “I hope your roses win.”

Then Steve’s striding out the entrance, leaving Bucky an incredulous and half-hard mess inside the Hall of Mirrors. The blond is just _full_ of surprises today.

Bucky doesn’t mind. In fact, he thinks as he smooths out his long hair and his clothes and exits the attraction, he quite likes surprises that involve Steve.

He sets aside the best rose of the bunch as he arranges his flowers a few minutes later. He figures Steve deserves a surprise today too.  

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!


End file.
